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Restraint and Restrictive Practice: Practical Scenarios and Incident Reference

The practical companion to the Regulation 20 guide. Worked scenarios for common situations, the incident response sequence, a physical intervention risk...

Last reviewed 2026-08-22In-depth guideUse the contents to jump to what you need
What you need to know

This is the practical companion to the canonical Regulation 20 guide. It gives you worked scenarios, a step-by-step incident response sequence, a physical intervention risk reference, post-incident tools, and pattern analysis worksheets. Use it when you need to make decisions in real situations or review incidents in supervision.

In this guide

  • How to respond to common scenarios: a child trying to leave, property damage, self-harm, child-on-child violence, and verbal abuse
  • The step-by-step incident response sequence, from reading early signs to recording and learning
  • Worked scenarios showing how the legal tests apply in real situations
  • Which physical intervention practices need particular scrutiny and why
  • A restrictive practice quick reference covering environmental restrictions, supervision, isolation, and the one incident problem
  • How to run a post-incident response: checking for injury, speaking to the child, debriefing staff, and repairing relationships
  • Recording and review templates including the Incident Recording Template and Management Review Template
  • How to analyse patterns, review individual staff patterns, and track the direction of travel
  • How to use the Hub tools: High-Risk Practice Checklist, Post-Incident Child Conversation Guide, Staff Debrief Template, Incident Recording Template, Management Review Template, Pattern Analysis Worksheet, and Behaviour Support Plan Review
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What the Statutory Guide Says

Quick answer

This is the practical companion to the canonical Regulation 20 guide. It gives you worked scenarios, a step-by-step incident response sequence, a physical intervention risk reference, a restrictive practice quick reference, post-incident tools, and pattern analysis worksheets. Use it alongside the full guide when you need to make decisions in real situations.
What This Means in Practice

How to use this companion

Read the canonical guide first for the full legal framework. Then use this companion when you need quick answers to real situations: what to do when a child tries to leave, when property is being damaged, when a child is self-harming, when staff are involved in a long restraint, or when you need to record and review an incident. Each section is designed to be used in the moment or in supervision, not read end to end.

Common scenarios at a glance

These are the situations staff and managers most often ask about. Each is a starting point, not a complete answer. The full legal reasoning is in the canonical guide.

A child is trying to leave the home

In a non-secure home, a child leaving does not automatically create a power to restrain. Ask: is there a real and immediate risk of injury? Is the child running towards a motorway, a railway, a violent adult, or another situation presenting imminent harm? If yes, restraint may be justified under the preventing injury purpose. If the child is walking out calmly and there is no immediate injury risk, restraint is likely not lawful. Missing-from-care planning still applies: follow the protocol, notify as required, and plan for the child's safe return.

Important

Important: do not oversimplify this

Staff must not be taught that leaving equals automatic restraint. But staff must also not be taught that they can never intervene. The question is always: is there a Regulation 20 permitted purpose, is restraint necessary, and is it proportionate? Assess the actual risk in the actual situation.

A child is damaging property

Regulation 20 allows restraint to prevent serious damage to property. The word serious matters. A child throwing a cushion, slamming a door, knocking over a plastic chair, or tearing a poster does not automatically meet this threshold. Ask: is the damage serious? Is physical restraint really necessary? Could staff remove the object, move other children, create space, or use de-escalation instead? Property is not more important than the child.

A child is self-harming

Self-harm may justify restraint under the preventing injury purpose, because the child is included in any person under Regulation 20. But self-harm is complex. Ask: is the self-harm serious and immediate? Is restraint the safest response, or could it escalate the distress? Is there a behaviour support plan for this child's self-harm? What does the plan say? Restraint that increases distress or injury may not be proportionate, even if the purpose is preventing injury.

Child-on-child violence

When one child is assaulting another, preventing injury to the other child is a Regulation 20 purpose. But consider: can you separate the children without physical restraint? Can you remove the child being attacked? Can you use verbal intervention? If physical restraint is necessary, use the least force needed to separate them and stop as soon as the immediate risk reduces. Both children need support afterwards.

Staff safety

Staff safety counts too. Preventing injury to a staff member is a Regulation 20 purpose. But staff should not put themselves in danger and then use restraint to manage the situation they helped create. Good practice includes positioning, maintaining distance, not cornering a child, and disengaging when possible. If a staff member is at risk, the question is whether restraint is the safest response or whether disengagement and space would work better.

Common misunderstanding

If a child is being challenging, we can restrain them.

Actual position

Being challenging, rude, non-compliant, or verbally abusive is not a Regulation 20 purpose. Restraint cannot be used to enforce compliance or punish behaviour. There must be a real risk of injury, serious property damage, or, in a secure home, absconding.

The incident response sequence

This is a practical sequence for responding to an incident. It is not a substitute for training. It is a conceptual guide to the decisions staff make, in order, during and after an incident.

Incident response sequence
1Read the early signsNotice changes in the child's behaviour, body language, tone, or movement before a crisis develops. Early intervention is less restrictive.
2Attempt de-escalationUse individual de-escalation: space, one trusted adult, reduced demands, co-regulation. Not every child responds to the same approach.
3Assess the riskIs there a real and immediate risk of injury, serious property damage, or, in a secure home, absconding? If not, do not restrain.
4Check necessity and proportionalityIs restraint genuinely needed? Is the level of force proportionate to the actual risk? Could a less restrictive response work?
5Use the least restrictive safe responseApply the minimum intervention for the shortest possible time. Avoid particularly sensitive practices unless there is no safe alternative.
6Stop when the risk reducesRelease the child as soon as the immediate risk has passed. Compliance is not the objective. Safety is the objective.
7Care for everyone afterwardsCheck for injury. Speak to the child. Debrief staff. Repair relationships. Begin recording.
8Record, review and learnRecord before, during, and after. Management review within 48 hours. Identify learning and changes to reduce recurrence.

Scenario reference: common situations

These worked scenarios show how the legal tests apply in real situations. They are illustrative, not exhaustive. Each situation must be assessed on its own facts.

Scenario: the child who throws things

A child is throwing items in the lounge. Cushions, then a remote control, then a small table. What should staff do? First, move other children and staff to safety. Remove breakable objects if possible. Give the child space. Use verbal de-escalation. Ask: is anyone at immediate risk of injury? Is the damage serious? If the child is throwing heavy or dangerous objects at people, preventing injury may justify restraint. If the child is throwing soft items and no one is at risk, restraint is likely not necessary or proportionate. Record what happened before, during, and after either way.

Hub Practical Guidance

Hub Practical Guidance

They were smashing the house up is too vague for a good record. What actually happened? Which items? Were people nearby? Was anyone at risk? What was the child's emotional state? What de-escalation was tried? What was the duration? Specific records help with pattern analysis and learning.

Scenario: the child who runs

A child runs out of the front door. Staff follow. The child is heading towards a busy road. Is there a real and immediate risk of injury? Yes. Restraint may be justified under the preventing injury purpose. Use the least force needed to stop the child reaching the road. Stop as soon as the immediate danger has passed. Now a different scenario: the child walks out calmly and sits in the garden. Is there an immediate risk of injury? Probably not. Follow the missing-from-care protocol. Do not restrain simply because the child has left the building.

Important

Important: assess the actual risk

The same behaviour, leaving the home, can create very different risks depending on the situation. A child running towards traffic is different from a child sitting in the garden. Staff must assess the actual risk, not apply a blanket rule.

Scenario: the long restraint

A restraint has lasted several minutes. The child is still distressed. Staff are tired. What should happen? Long restraints are a warning sign. The longer the restraint, the more important the questions: why is it still needed? Is the child becoming more distressed? Are staff reassessing or just holding on? Is there a different staff member who might help? Should medical advice be sought? Long restraints need additional scrutiny in management review. If restraint is becoming routine for a particular child, the behaviour support plan needs urgent review.

Child-centred question

What was happening for this child in the minutes before the restraint began?

Scenario: the bedroom restraint

A child has retreated to their bedroom. Staff follow. The situation escalates and a restraint occurs on the bed or in the bedroom. Ofsted identifies restraint in bedrooms and on beds as practice that should prompt particular professional curiosity. Why? Because the bedroom is a particularly sensitive space. Ask: why did staff follow the child into the bedroom? Could the situation have been managed by giving the child space? Was the restraint necessary, or did following the child into their room contribute to the escalation? Bedroom restraints are not automatically unlawful, but they need stronger justification.

Scenario: the child who swears

A child swears at a staff member and calls them an offensive name. The staff member is angry and embarrassed. Is this a reason to restrain? No. Verbal abuse is unpleasant, but it is not imminent injury. Adults working in residential childcare need the capacity to separate offence from danger. Responding to verbal abuse with physical restraint is likely to be disproportionate and potentially unlawful. Use verbal de-escalation, give the child space, and seek support if needed.

Common misunderstanding

If a child is swearing at staff, staff can restrain them to maintain authority.

Actual position

Restraint cannot be used to maintain authority, enforce compliance, or respond to verbal abuse. There must be a real risk of injury, serious property damage, or absconding in a secure home. Verbal abuse is not a Regulation 20 purpose.

Physical intervention techniques and risk

This section is a risk reference, not a training manual. Staff must be trained in physical intervention by a competent provider. The information here helps leaders understand which practices need particular scrutiny and why.

Practices that need particular scrutiny

Ofsted identifies certain practices that inspectors will explore carefully. These are not automatically unlawful, but they carry higher risk and require stronger justification.

What Ofsted Expects

What Ofsted expects

Ofsted's Positive Environments guidance identifies prone holds, taking children to the floor, ground holds, restraint in bedrooms or on beds, and long restraints as practices that should prompt particular professional curiosity. Restraint that deliberately inflicts pain should never be used.
High-risk practice checklist
  • Prone holds or ground holds: why was this necessary? Was there a safer alternative?
  • Restraint on a bed or in a bedroom: why did staff enter the bedroom? Could space have been given?
  • Long restraint (more than a few minutes): why was it still needed? What was happening?
  • Multiple staff involved: was the child surrounded? Could fewer staff have been safer?
  • Any pain, breathing difficulty, or injury: was medical attention needed? Is safeguarding thinking required?
  • Techniques affecting the neck or breathing: these are particularly dangerous and require immediate scrutiny

Mechanical and chemical restraint

Mechanical restraint, using equipment to restrict movement, and chemical restraint, using medication to control behaviour, are particularly restrictive. They should only be used where there is a clear legal basis, professional assessment, and proper authorisation. In most children's homes, these are not part of routine practice. If they are used, the legal basis and authorisation must be documented and reviewed.

Equipment that supports or restricts

Specialist equipment might increase comfort, support posture, help sensory regulation, or enable independence. But if a child cannot leave or stop using it freely, the arrangement may become restrictive. High bed sides, door alarms, and equipment that prevents movement should be properly planned and regularly reviewed. Purpose matters: equipment used to support a child is different from equipment used to prevent a child moving because staff find movement difficult to manage.

Restrictive practice quick reference

Use this quick reference to identify restrictive practices in your home and check whether each is necessary, reviewed, and has an exit plan.

Environmental restrictions

Locked kitchens, locked lounges, high door handles, restricted access to rooms, and locked external doors can all be restrictive practice. Ofsted specifically identifies routine locking of common areas as a blanket approach that inspectors should question. Ask: is this restriction necessary for each child? Is it reviewed? Could a less restrictive approach achieve the same safety?

Supervision and observation

Constant observation, line-of-sight supervision, and high staffing ratios can be restrictive if they prevent a child from moving freely or having privacy. Supervision levels should be based on individual risk assessment, not applied as a blanket rule. Ofsted tells inspectors to question intrusive observation and to consider whether less restrictive approaches are possible.

Isolation, separation and time out

Terms vary: time out, quiet time, chill-out, separation, isolation, seclusion. Do not decide whether practice is acceptable based on what staff call it. Ask: could the child leave? Did they believe they could leave? Was anyone preventing them? How long did it last? Ofsted says long-term isolation and segregation are never acceptable. A door does not need to be locked for a child to feel confined.

Hub Practical Guidance

Hub Practical Guidance

Voluntary time alone is different. A child says leave me alone, I need ten minutes, goes to their room, and staff respect that. That can be healthy self-regulation. But if staff say go into that room and stay there while physically or psychologically preventing exit, the situation is different. Look at what actually happened.

The one incident problem

Sometimes a single serious incident leads to a home introducing blanket restrictions: locking the kitchen, increasing supervision for all children, or changing the routine for everyone. Ofsted identifies this as a problem. Ask: was the restriction necessary before the incident? Is it necessary for every child? Is it reviewed? Does it have an exit plan? A restriction introduced in response to one incident should be reviewed and reduced as soon as the situation stabilises.

Common misunderstanding

If we had one serious incident, we need to lock everything down for everyone.

Actual position

Blanket restrictions introduced after a single incident are exactly what Ofsted identifies as a problem. Restrictions should be based on individual risk assessment, reviewed regularly, and reduced as soon as the situation stabilises. One incident does not justify permanently restricting every child.

Post-incident response

The restraint is not over when the physical intervention ends. The post-incident response is as important as the intervention itself.

Check for injury

If restraint results in bruising, cuts, breathing difficulty, head impact, pain, loss of consciousness, or any other injury, the child may need medical attention. Unusual bruising needs safeguarding thinking. An allegation from the child changes the pathway and may engage Regulation 40 notification duties.

Speak to the child

The child must be spoken to after the incident. A child may have experienced the incident completely differently from the staff involved. They may have been frightened, in pain, or confused. Do not make the debrief another confrontation. Approach with curiosity, not judgement. Child refused to discuss needs curiosity, not closure. Offer time and try again later.

Child-centred question

How did the child experience what just happened?

Debrief staff

Staff need debrief too. A worker who has been involved in a difficult restraint may be shaken, hurt, angry, or unsure whether they did the right thing. A debrief that only asks whether the paperwork is complete misses the point. Ask: what happened? What did we do well? What could we do differently? Does anyone need support?

Repair the relationship

A legal restraint can still damage the relationship between the child and staff. Do not assume that because the restraint was lawful, the relationship is unaffected. The child may need reassurance, explanation, and time. The staff member may need support to process the incident and re-engage with the child positively.

Post-Incident Child Conversation Guide
  • Is the child physically okay? Any injury? Does the child need medical attention?
  • Does the child feel safe right now?
  • What does the child remember about what happened?
  • What was happening for the child before the incident?
  • Does the child have anything they want to say about how staff responded?
  • What would help the child next time they feel like this?
  • Does the child want to talk now, or would they prefer time and to try again later?
Staff Debrief Template
  • What happened, in your words, from the beginning?
  • What did we do well?
  • What could we have done differently?
  • Did you feel supported during the incident?
  • Are you okay? Do you need any support?
  • Is there anything about the child's plan we should change?
  • Is there anything about our team approach we should change?

Recording and review quick reference

Regulation 35 requires records of incidents, including restraint. Good recording is not just about compliance. It is about understanding patterns, identifying learning, and reducing the need for restraint over time.

What the Regulations Say

What the Regulations require

Regulation 35 requires records to be kept of incidents, including restraint. The DfE Guide says records should include what happened before, during, and after the incident, the intervention used, the duration, any injury, and the child's view where possible.
Incident Recording Template
  • Date, time, and location
  • Child and staff involved
  • What happened before the incident (antecedents, triggers, context)
  • What de-escalation was attempted and what happened
  • The Regulation 20 purpose relied on (injury / serious property damage / absconding in a secure home)
  • The physical intervention used
  • Duration (accurate, not a few minutes)
  • Any injury to child, staff, or others
  • The child's view after the incident
  • Staff view after the incident
  • What happened immediately after the restraint ended
Management Review Template
  • Was the restraint lawful? (Regulation 20 purpose, necessary, proportionate)
  • Was it good practice? (least restrictive, shortest duration, de-escalation attempted)
  • Was the child's view sought and recorded?
  • Are there any injuries or allegations requiring further action?
  • Is a Regulation 40 notification required?
  • Does the behaviour support plan need updating?
  • Does the risk assessment need updating?
  • What learning has been identified?
  • What will change to reduce the likelihood of recurrence?
  • Who is responsible for the changes?

Management review within 48 hours

Regulation 35(5)(b) requires that within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person, or a person authorised by the registered person, speaks to the staff member who used the measure about whether it was justified. The review should ask whether the restraint was lawful, whether it was good practice, whether the child is okay, whether staff need support, and what should change to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

Common misunderstanding

No injury means the restraint does not need proper review.

Actual position

The absence of physical injury does not mean the restraint was appropriate or that review is unnecessary. A restraint that caused no physical harm may still have been unnecessary, disproportionate, or poorly managed. Review every restraint, regardless of outcome.

Pattern analysis and learning

Leadership oversight of restraint means looking at patterns, not just individual incidents. A home that restrains frequently but never asks why is a concern, even if each individual restraint appears lawful.

What to look for in patterns

Look at patterns across the home: which children are restrained most often? Which staff are involved most often? What times of day? What days of the week? What locations? What are the common triggers? Are incidents reducing or increasing? A manager who cannot answer these questions does not have adequate oversight.

Individual staff patterns

If one staff member is involved in significantly more restraints than others, ask why. It may be that they work the most challenging shifts. It may be that they are better at de-escalation and are called in for the hardest incidents. But it may also be that their approach is contributing to escalation. Individual staff patterns should be reviewed with curiosity, not assumption.

The direction of travel

Zero restraint is not automatically proof of excellent practice: a home that never restrains may be avoiding necessary intervention or may not be caring for children with complex needs. High restraint does not automatically mean poor care: a home caring for children with high needs may need to restrain more often. The key question is the direction of travel. Are incidents reducing over time? Is the home learning from each incident? Are behaviour support plans evolving?

Child-centred question

What can we change so this is less likely to happen again?

Pattern Analysis Worksheet
  • Total restraints this month / quarter / year
  • Restraints by child (who is restrained most often?)
  • Restraints by staff member (who is involved most often?)
  • Restraints by time of day and day of week
  • Restraints by location (communal area, bedroom, outside)
  • Common triggers
  • Trend: increasing, decreasing, or stable?
  • What does the pattern tell us about what needs to change?
  • What action will we take and who is responsible?
Behaviour Support Plan Review
  • What are this child's known triggers?
  • What early signs does this child show before a crisis?
  • What de-escalation works for this child?
  • What de-escalation has been tried and does not work?
  • Are there environmental or routine factors contributing?
  • When was this plan last reviewed?
  • What has changed since the last review?
  • What needs to change to reduce the need for restraint for this child?
Use the CHH tools
Related

The canonical Regulation 20 guide

For the full legal framework, the 2026 Supreme Court judgment on deprivation of liberty, the complete Regulation 20 audit, and the Restrictive Practice Register and Deprivation of Liberty Check tools, read the canonical comprehensive guide.

Key takeaways

  • 01In a non-secure home, a child leaving does not automatically create a power to restrain. Assess the actual risk of injury in the actual situation.
  • 02Verbal abuse, non-compliance, and challenging behaviour are not Regulation 20 purposes. Restraint cannot be used to enforce compliance or punish.
  • 03Particularly sensitive practices, including prone holds, floor restraints, bedroom restraints, and long restraints, need stronger justification and additional scrutiny.
  • 04A door does not need to be locked for a child to feel confined. Look at what actually happened, not just whether a physical lock was used.
  • 05Every restraint must be recorded with before, during, and after detail, and management-reviewed within 48 hours, regardless of whether injury occurred.
  • 06Pattern analysis is leadership oversight. A home that restrains frequently but never asks why is a concern, even if each individual restraint appears lawful.
  • 07The direction of travel matters more than the absolute number. Are incidents reducing over time? Is the home learning from each incident?

Related resources

Guides and tools that connect to this one.

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What to do next

Continue to: Allegations Against Staff, LADO & Whistleblowing — Managing Concerns About Adults Working in Children's HomesBrowse all resources

Sources and further reading

This guidance references the following official sources. Always consult the underlying legislation and official guidance where appropriate.

Legislation

Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 — Regulation 20 (Restraint) and Regulations 19, 35

Legislation · Legislation · Regulations 19, 20, 35

Accessed 2026-08-11

Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 — Regulations 11, 12, 40, 44, 45

Legislation · Legislation · Regulations 11, 12, 40, 44, 45

Accessed 2026-08-11

Statutory guidance

Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards (DfE statutory Guide)

Department for Education · Statutory Guidance

Accessed 2026-08-11

Ofsted guidance

Ofsted — Positive Environments and Restrictive Practice (guidance for children's homes)

Ofsted · Ofsted Guidance

Accessed 2026-08-11

Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF) for children's homes (updated 1 April 2026) — restraint, restrictive practice and behaviour support

Ofsted · Ofsted Guidance

Accessed 2026-08-11

Government guidance

Supreme Court judgment of 2 June 2026 and DHSC update of 15 June 2026 — deprivation of liberty multifactorial assessment (replacing the single Cheshire West acid test)

Supreme Court / Department of Health and Social Care · Government Guidance

Accessed 2026-08-11

About this guidance

The Children's Home Hub provides independent guidance designed to make children's-home regulation easier to understand. The Hub Restrictions Schedule, the Hub Restriction Map, the Hub Restraint Incident Review, the Manager/RI Regulation 20 Tests, and the Restrictive Practice Audit are Hub practical tools rather than Ofsted-prescribed formats. References to the current SCCIF reflect the framework updated on 1 April 2026. References to Ofsted's Positive Environments guidance reflect the current version, including the 2025 update reinforcing least-restrictive practice. The critical June 2026 legal update on deprivation of liberty reflects the Supreme Court judgment of 2 June 2026 and the DHSC update of 15 June 2026, which replaced the previous single Cheshire West "acid test" with a multifactorial assessment. Providers should not rely on the old acid test as the complete current law. Where significant restrictions or uncertainty remain, court/legal processes should still be considered rather than assuming an arrangement is lawful. References to Regulation 20's three permitted purposes, the necessary-and-proportionate test, and the secure-home absconding distinction reflect the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the DfE statutory Guide. References to Regulation 35 recording requirements reflect the 24-hour record, 48-hour management review, and 5-day child-confirmation requirements. This resource should be reviewed when the underlying legislation, statutory guidance, Ofsted's inspection framework, or deprivation-of-liberty case law is updated.